17

They entered to darkness, their eyes adjusting to find that they really might have preferred blindness. Meaters had got in, rampaged and not all bodies in the main entryway were human anymore.

"God" Andy gaped with horror, and then pointed and Mickey followed the direction of his finger to see Martha crouched over a body, removing something. In the half light they could make out the heaving of her shoulders and it gave them both the willies. Haunted house my arse. This was much scarier.

"MARTHA" Andy stage whispered then grimaced at the loudness of it in the silent chamber. She rose and held out a sidearm and walked over to remove the clip showing it still fully loaded.

"They didn't fire on them?" Andy was confused now.

"Not at first anyway. The spray of bullets on the wall over here says in the end they did, suppressing fire as they moved back to try and isolate behind the secondary blast doors. My guess is that the first ones here knew them. Family or friends. Looks like they retain some sort of thought process, familiar things. Like that one we saw mowing the lawn with the Hoover that day… something there still firing randomly. They came here… these poor sods couldn't open fire and … chomp chomp." Andy shrugged, Martha pulling a face at him as Mickey laughed and walked over to rap on the doors, then reach for the handle.

"Wait" Andy said, holding out his hand to hold the door closed and stop the movement "What if those on the other side are… ya … know…."

"Ready to open fire?" Mickey frowned "We knocked."

"No …Ready to fucking eat us!" Andy hissed then looked around and pointed "There. Guard's desk. Let's see if CCTV is still operating in there, see if people are walking around or running."

"That's a solid idea" Mickey said with surprise and admiration.

Andy shrugged "Just basic training. Always look for the easy way. CCTV is brills for keeping you out of the filth if something nasty is going down like a pub brawl or something. Check your exits and stuff."

"Been in a few of those?" Mickey asked as they watched Andy's fingers fly over the keyboard, then pause "What?"

"Asking for a password"

Martha reached over "Try this. It's the standard visitor's pass I always had."

The screen blinked into life and Andy grinned at her, "could kiss ya but I am still mad at ya for taking off!"

Martha stole a kiss, and then moved away with delight as he blushed and looked at the screens. He then said softly "And to your question Mickey me mate. Yeah. Not always in a uniform either. Ianto and I was a couple of little bastards in our late teens … liked riling up the rival footy fans."

"Somehow I can see you being a yobbo" Mickey laughed, then the smile faded as Martha tapped a screen. Someone was running, their white coat fanning out behind them as their arms wind-milled and they slammed into a wall, turning to scream as …. God.

"Right then. We have two options" Andy said sadly "we go in and risk ourselves to maybe save someone if we can get past all of the Meaters already rampaging and those they are creating even as we speak … or we walk away and go back to the people we know we have a chance of defending."

"Shit" Mickey huffed, sitting in the guard's chair and looking at Martha with sorrow. He shrugged to show he was on Andy's side either way.

"I knew some of them. Not… not first manes or high fives but… smile and nod sort of knew them" Martha sank into another seat and placed the gun on the console.

"Right. So … I decide? Right. Let's go find the car park and see if there is a fucking motorbike or something because I am sick of sharing and I don't care how childish that sounds. Then we go home and we cut a LARGE detour around this area." Andy said forcefully, picking up the weapon and firing at the Meater that was crawling up the other side of the console, and then dropping the gun without taking his gaze off Martha "we can't save them all Martha Girl. Sometimes… not everybody lives."

Martha nodded, accepting the gun and sliding it into her pocket as she shakily stood and looked at Mickey, then nodded to him. Andy started yanking open drawers and found another clip of ammo, handing it over before they left that place with the single handgun. None of them wanting to take from the dead.

There was no bloody bike either but… Martha on the back of his bike holding onto him tightly did ease Andy's annoyance somewhat.

But they did need another forward vehicle.

And a proper feckin plan!